Glimpses of King William IV. and Queen Adelaide / In Letters of the Late Miss Clitherow, of Boston House, Middlesex. With a Brief Account of Boston House and the Clitherow Family

Produced by David McClamrock
THE following pages are mainly compiled from certain letters by Miss Mary Clitherow, which have come into the editor's possession. They afford glimpses of the Court at that time, with reference not so much to public functions as to their Majesties' more private relations with persons honoured with their friendship. The reader will meet with few, if any, references in them to leaders in political or philanthropic movements or in the realms of literature or fashion; but it is not to be inferred that these were regarded with disfavour or treated with coldness by their Majesties, whose kindly interest in the well-being of their people is notorious. There were in this short reign many commanding personalities whose names must live in our history, and ever be remembered With respect and gratitude. To name only a few: the Duke of Wellington, Lords Grey, Melbourne, Brougham, Palmerston and Shaftesbury, Sir Robert Peel, William Wilberforce, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Southey, Thomas Campbell, S. T. Coleridge, Henry Hallam, Bulwer Lytton and William Thackeray were among the leading spirits of the time.
With such, however, these pages have no direct concern. They treat of personal friends whose interests lay neither in the Court nor in the Senate, and whose aims had no taint of self-seeking. The knowledge that William IV.'s intimate friends were high-minded, independent, kind-hearted English gentlefolk assures us that the King's well-known simplicity of taste was joined to a kindliness of heart, a sincerity of character, and a devotion to duty which enabled him to maintain his heritage of royal responsibility, and to hand it on to his successor with its honour restored, its resources enlarged, and its security confirmed.
II. DEFEAT OF THE MINISTRY—DINNER AT ST. JAMES's, 1830
The hall, which is not large, is surrounded by shields bearing the arms of former owners of the manor. The first of these to the north of the entrance is that of Edward I., who granted the manor to St. Helen's Hospital in the City of London. Then follow those of Edward VI., who granted it to the Duke of Somerset; Elizabeth, who granted it to Robert, Earl of Leicester; Charles II. and William IV., who visited Boston on several occasions. In addition to these are seen in order those of other holders of the manor: Rollesby, who devised it to St. Helens; St. Helen's; Edward, Duke of Somerset; Robert, Earl of Leicester; Sir Thomas Gresham, who also owned Osterley; Sir W. Read; I. Goldsmith. These are on the south side. On the north are Clitherow and Hewett; Clitherow and Campbell; Clitherow and Barker; Clitherow and Paule; Clitherow and Gale; Clitherow and Jodrell; Clitherow and Powell; Clitherow and Kemeys; Clitherow and Pole; Clitherow and Snow.